Means for preventing automobile-thefts



I. MONGAN.

MEANS FUR FREVENTING AUTOMOBILE THEFTS. APPucmon mio ocr. 25, wxs.

1,368,519. Patend Feb. 15,1921.

2 SHEE1SY-SHLE1 1.

J. MUNGAN.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING AUTOMOBILE THEFTS.

APPLICATION meu ocr. 25. 19:9.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

2 sheets-snail 2.'

,fm/wlan v/lm Mayan.

St. Louis, in the county of St. -aud State of'lllinois, have inventedcertain desi UNITED s'rArpserEN'r OFFICE.

JOHN HONGAN, 0F EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

w8 FOB PEVEIPJIIIIG AUTOMOBILE-THEFTB.

Patented Feb. 15, 1,921.

Said receipts are designated by the m1- 1,368519 Specification o!Letters Patent.

Application lied ctober 25, 1919. Serial No. 883,398.

VTo all guhomtma concern:

1t known t at I, JOHN Mouais, a

citizen ofthe United States, residin at lair new and useful Improvements'in Means for Preventing AutomobileLThefts, of which the following is aspecification containing a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing 'had tothei accompanying drawings, forming ya part hereof.

"My invention consists in the novel disclosure hereinafter articularlydescribed und distinctl claimed? 0 The object of my inyention is toprovide an improved means for preventing automobile thefts,4 in such amanner that a national or universal deed or abstract-oftitle for eachprotected car will be issued to the car'- owner after same has been madein duplicate, together with an additional identit ing numbered evidenceof ownership of sai ear which is used in combination with the saidabstract-of-title.

In the drawings,

re 1 is a front faceview of the deed of a tract-of-title sheet, induplicate, the separate sections of same being -detachabiy connected byerforated lines, the duplicate parts being sliown broken away, toeconomize in drafting space. v

Fi 2 is a top plan-view of the owners title limdge or tag that is usedin combina tion with the sheets shown in Fig-1, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the badge or tag, on line 3--3 ofFig. 2.

In the resent form of my invention, which is i ustrated herein, thenumeral 1 ates the original sheet of the deed or abstract-of-title, andthe numeral 2 designatos the duplicate thereof, detachably connected toone of the side-edges of said original by a line of indentations 'orperforations 3.

At the bottom of both the original and duplicate sheets 1 and 2 there isformed a. horizontal line of indentations or perforations 4, by means ofwhich a series of coupons or receipts are detachably secured to the saidsheets.

Said ori inal and duplicate sheets land 2 are marke with the words Form3, and

A ,faces or upon some merels 5, 6 andv 7, and they are separated fromeach other by a vertical dotted, erforated or indented line 11, and mared Form 3^.

A. series of signature coupons 8, 9 and 10 are attached to the loweredges of the said receipts by an indented line 12, so Athat said siature coupons may be readily detached, W en' required for tiling withthe duplicate, at the headquarters or office of the corporatio.; whichfurnishes the abstract, which may be done by pasting the receiptscontain ing the signatures of the car owners on the duplicate receiptsin the office of the abstract cor eration.

Said receipts are marked Form 3, for further identification.

In use, said receipts being filled out, as shown, prevents the sellingof 'a stolen car, because a buyer knowing about this abstract, willrefuse to purchase a secondhand car unless he can get a godd title tosame. l

In order to prevent the theft of automobiles it is necessary to )reventthe cause.

Automobiles are stolen in most cases to sell again, and if thievescannot sell the cars the have stolen they will quit stealing cars.

ence, without an abstract of title, it will in the future be almostimpossible to sell a second-hand or used car.

The abstract of title 1 (form 3), because of the information it conveys,prevents the selling of a stolen car having the definite engine number,and definite licen'se number, that are written upon the face of saidabstract sheet 1 corresponding to the actual number of the en ine andlicense of said car.

Said abstract s eet 1 is to be issued to the car owner, while aduplicate 2 of said sheet is to be kept on file at the clearance office,

7, are to be vfilled outand issued by the clearance oflice only, inorder to prevent counteritting of the abstract sheet.

Said owners si nature coupons 8, 9 and l0, (form 3B) ena lle the ownerof. cai; to furnish his signature, for filing at the clearance milice,as n further preventive of theft. l

A thief or other person that world offer a stolen car for registrationin the clearance office would thus find that the real owners signaturewas or file, as shown.

A metallic (or other suitable) deed or additional evidence of ownershipof the protected car, may bc made in the form of a badge or fob 14 ismade with an integral upstanding flange 15, to prevent easycounterfeiting of same, and the license-number 1G of the registered caris cut through o1' into the material of said badge or fob, and thislatter is 'issued to the owner of the cai' that has its license numbercorresponding to that writtin in the abstract sheet l in du ilicate.

his badge or additional evidence of ownership is to be carried hy theowner or his driver, and for convenience. it ina)v he h'tted with aleather back-piece 1T and a buckled stra 18, to be fastened around thcwrist.

The said flange 15 is provided with opposite openings 19 for the passageof the said wrist-strip 18, when the badge or fob is carried on thewrist.

In the present illustration of thM badge 14, the words Universalautomobile abstract and car title guarantee" are printed or otherwiseplaced upon the face of said badge, for an obvious purpose, as is alsothe name of the State which issued thc license of the car.

If a suspected thief is caught on a car and contends that he owns thecar, but has no numbered deed orbadge to prove his ownership, he canthen he forced to prove his ownership by other means.

thief could not steal a car and its owners badge at the same time, andhence he could not register the car and get an abstract for same withoutproducingr the badge or other form of title evidence for the lstolencar.

' Neither could a thief send in for au abstract without getting caught,as the signature of the owner on form 3" is on tile in the clearanceotiioe, and that is required with all sales or transfers of cars.

amiamo By the use of m invention, a ycomplete record of all cars t athave been manufactured and used, may be made.

The various abstract-issuing offices will be able to render valuableassistance to the license-issuing otiices of the States in which saidlicense-issuing otlces are located, especially in preventing the illegalrunning of a number of cars under one license-plate.

It will be impossible for a person with a stolen car to obtain a licensewithout getting caught, even though that person may change the numbers,paint the car in a different color, or even store `the stolen car for along time.

By the use of my invention, a purchaser paying from $500.00 up for a caror truek, may secure positive protection against the theft thereof, andsaid protection will be of an exceptionally low cost.

Thus a thief would be effectually prevented froin getting rid of hisplunder, and automobile thefts would he stamped out all ox'er thecountry.

l claim The combinaion of a title decd sheet in duplicate sectionsseparated by an indented line, said sections having appropriatelydesignated spaces for the name of the owner of a car and other dataconcerning said car, and hariin;r appropriately designated spaces forthe insertion of the licenswnumber and the engiuo-nlunher of said car,receipt,- coupons detachablil connected to said title deed lsheet b vindented lilies, and owner`s signature. coupons detachabl)- connected tosaid sheet b v indented lines.

ln testimony whereof. l have signed my naine to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses. p

JOHN MONHN.

Witnesses:

IDA lmniars, JOHN (l. Hmmm.

